Hugh Jackman Talks Up The Wolverine’s (Unlikely) Rated-R Possibility

With the success of “X-Men: First Class” it’s anybody’s guess why Fox is dragging their feet on the oft-delayed “The Wolverine”, the sequel to the over stuffed “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. That film … was not so good. The sequel, on the other hand, already has a great director in James Mangold attached and a script from Christopher McQuarrie that takes its cues from Frank Miller’s comic book storyline that took everyone’s favorite Canucklehead to Japan.

So what’s the hold up? Nobody knows, not even the film’s star Hugh Jackman, who recently talked to MTV about various topics relating to “The Wolverine”, including the possibility that the sequel might boast an R-rating.

There’s such great temptation to make an R-rated ‘Wolverine.’ I’ve always felt that, and I know a lot of fans would like that. If there’s ever going to be a superhero that is going to be R-rated, it’s going to be Wolverine.

But of course, an R-rated “The Wolverine” will never happen. As in, ever.

You see it in [younger fans’] eyes. He’s everything to them. You need to have a really good reason to exclude those fans. There is even talk about us doing two versions, as in finding a way to do both while you shoot it, which could be really cool.

Translation: there will be an “Unrated Director’s Cut” on the DVD that will feature some extra blood splatter or two.

And finally, as to the film being set in Japan, Jackman confirms that while most of the film will indeed be set in Japan, “not all of it” will be. A brief stop at the X-Mansion, perhaps?

So there you have it. Forget about getting an R-rated “The Wolverine” in theaters. But you might get one on DVD. Maybe.